Purchase data transmission and analysis system

ABSTRACT

A system may perform steps such as receiving a bank card transaction authorization stream including a URL originating from the merchant computing system, the URL received in a discretionary field in the authorization stream for a bank card purchase. The system further perform the step of retrieving information at a location referenced by the URL, wherein the information includes at least a merchant identifier and line item data related to a purchase. The system may additionally attaching the retrieved data to the transaction to create a complete description of the transaction analyze the complete description of the transaction for creating at least one customer interface for the customer and at least one merchant interface for the merchant based on the analysis.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/795,147 filed on Mar. 12, 2013, which claimspriority to provisional application 61/666,053, filed on Jun. 29, 2012.U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/795,147 is also aContinuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/165,929filed on Jun. 22, 2011. All of these applications are herebyincorporated in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the invention are related generally to systems andmethods for facilitating transmission, analysis, and presentation ofpurchase data, and in particular to providing an optimized technique forboth merchants and customers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

E-commerce or e-business solutions may allow an individual to performfinancial transactions over the Internet through a secure website. Thistype of service enables customers to do their banking or financialtransaction processing from anywhere where Internet access is available.In many cases, a web browser is utilized and any normal Internetconnection is suitable.

In recent years, consumers have drastically reduced the use of cashpayment for goods and services and have more frequently relied on creditcards, debit cards, stored value cards, or electronic transfer of fundsassociated with a financial account to facilitate financialtransactions. Financial institutions have begun offering businesses acredit card account that offers account holders the option of shiftinginvoice-based check spending to a business credit card. For example,business credit cards designed for contractors have the objective ofinducing them to do away with invoice-based payments by check and shiftto more frequent use of their business credit cards.

Customers, including individuals, contractors, and other businessesfrequently make purchases or issue disbursements for multiple projects,clients, or customers in a single financial transaction. For example,when a contractor uses an open-loop credit card to make a singlepurchase of multiple items for a variety of projects, an electronicbilling application generally allows the contractor to view only limiteddata regarding the transaction (e.g., the date, the name of the vendor,and the total dollar amount charged to the credit card) and toelectronically settle payment. A solution has developed as disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,949,579, hereby incorporated by reference, that allows acontractor (or other business or individual) to allocate a percentage ordollar amount of the total dollar amount charged to the credit card at apoint of sale to a particular project, job, or client matter. As aresult, the contractor may need to collect and examine numerous receiptsto properly charge clients for items purchased for a particular project.

While U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,579 discloses a system that allows customersto view and allocate data, it does not fully address data capture,storage, transmission, analysis, and display. Credit card networksdefine III levels of data (Levels I, II, and III) that can be associatedwith a transaction by a merchant. Level I data is typically provided bymerchants for all transactions and includes merchant name, location,transaction amount, merchant category code, and transaction date. LevelII data provides additional details such as sales tax amount, andcustomer account codes. Level III data provides line-item details suchas product quantities, product codes, product descriptions, delivery zipcodes, freight amount, duty amount, and other applicable data.

Currently, the majority of merchants only provide Level I data to theiracquiring banks. The small percentage of merchants that do provide LevelII or III data are those with high corporate spending (e.g., hotels,airlines), or fleet card purchases (e.g., gas stations). TransmittingLevel III data requires sophisticated merchant point-of sale (POS)system. There is no incentive for merchants to send Level III dataunless the merchant has a significant number of large dollartransactions on eligible cards or a large number of eligibletransactions.

Merchants having an appropriate mix of eligible transactions and cardsprocessed have already deployed Level III POS systems (traditionallymerchants that process travel transactions and commercial/purchasingcards). However, this is a small percentage of merchants.

Currently existing credit card processing systems make it difficult formerchants to transmit Level III data. In the authorization data streamare fields or attributes of data, one of which is bit 63 that containsitem level data. Typically, when a customer initiates a cardtransaction, authorization comes within seconds, but additional data inthe stream creates latency. To provide incentive for merchants to supplythe data despite the latency, the associations are offering merchantsreductions in interchange rates and incentives to give level III data.

However, acquiring banks charge the merchants if the merchants eveninclude one line of data to the association. The charge is currently aper line item fee. The acquiring bank charges negate the fact that theassociation offers incentives for providing the data.

A recently proposed solution for capturing additional data includesreceipt capture from the consumer side. Consumers can use varioustechniques to capture data on receipts. Consumer capture techniques mayinvolve image capture, for example, with a mobile device. While imagecapture may be a relatively simple process for standard sized receipts,it can present difficulties with longer receipts. Multiple steps may berequired to capture longer receipts and if care is not taken, parts ofthe receipt may be missing. Furthermore, there is typically little valuewhen the data is provided simply as an image. In order to provideadditional value, consumers would have to allow their email or datastorage to be mined or filtered in order to provide value.

Accordingly, a solution is needed for collecting receipt data andstoring it in association with a particular transaction. The collectionof data should minimize expense to both merchants and customers. Thesolution should extract value from the collected data to create newproducts, services, behavior analysis, better targeting, better retailerspend analysis. Data including POS data, vendor product information,industry data reviews, and warranties should ideally be integrated in auseful manner with purchase data.

Furthermore, the use of paper receipts has increasingly come intoquestion. Large retailers spend millions of dollars a year, just onpaper for creating receipts. The expense and waste associated with paperreceipts cannot be overstated. Bottom line costs and environmentalimpact could be reduced by eliminating paper receipts.

Accordingly, a solution is needed that allows for the transmission andanalysis of valuable point of purchase data without the use of paperreceipts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention include a system for facilitating purchasedata capture and analysis, the system operating over a network and inconjunction with a user device and a merchant computing system. Thesystem may include at least one computer memory storing instructions andat least one computer processor accessing the at least one computermemory. The computer processor accesses the stored instructions forperforming multiple steps. The steps may include receiving a bank cardtransaction authorization stream including a URL originating from themerchant computing system, the URL received in a discretionary field inthe authorization stream for a bank card purchase. The steps may alsoinclude retrieving information at a location referenced by the URL,wherein the information includes a merchant identifier and line itemdata related to a purchase, and attaching the retrieved data to atransaction record to create a complete description of the transaction.The process may further include analyzing the complete description ofthe transaction for creating at least one customer interface for thecustomer and at least one merchant interface for the merchant based onthe analysis.

In embodiments of the invention, a method is provided for facilitatingpurchase data capture and analysis. The method operates over a networkand in conjunction with a user device and a merchant computing system.The method may include accessing instructions stored in at least onecomputer memory and executing the stored instructions for performingmultiple steps. The steps may include receiving a bank card transactionauthorization stream including a URL originating from the merchantcomputing system, the URL received in a discretionary field in theauthorization stream for a bank card purchase, and retrievinginformation at a location referenced by the URL. The information mayinclude a merchant identifier and line item data related to a purchase.The method may further include attaching the retrieved data to thetransaction authorization stream to create a complete description of thetransaction and analyzing the complete description of the transactionfor creating at least one customer interface for the customer and atleast one merchant interface for the merchant based on the analysis.

In further embodiments of the invention, a system for facilitatingpurchase data capture and analysis is provided. The system operates overa network and in conjunction with a user mobile device and a merchantcomputing system. The system may include at least one computer memorystoring instructions and at least one computer processor accessing theat least one computer memory and executing the stored instructions forperforming multiple steps. The steps include receiving transactioninformation from a merchant and processing an image capture request froma user to capture a receipt, wherein processing the request includesproviding a leveling function and a matching function, the levelingfunction ensuring that the receipt information is fully captured basedon an angle between the user mobile device and the receipt and thematching function ensuring that each edge of a captured receipt portionmatches an edge of another captured receipt portion. The steps furtherinclude matching the captured customer receipt with the transactioninformation from the merchant and analyzing the transaction for creatingat least one customer interface for the customer and at least onemerchant interface for the merchant based on the analysis.

Embodiments of the invention include a system for facilitating purchasedata capture and analysis, the system operating over a network and inconjunction with a point of sale device at a merchant computing system.The system may include at least one computer memory storing at least onedriver and at least one computer processor accessing the driver andexecuting the driver for performing multiple steps. The steps includereceiving point of purchase data from the point of sale device uponcompletion of a customer purchase; processing the purchase data toextract level III data from the point of purchase data; and transmittingthe level III data to a print cloud managed by a host system. The hostsystem includes at least one computer processor for managing point ofpurchase data within the print cloud in accordance with customerpreferences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in detail below with reference to theattached drawings figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an operating environment for apurchase data transmission and analysis system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a data management server of thepurchase data transmission and analysis system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a data analysis and presentationsystem of the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4A is a flowchart illustrating a purchase data transmission andanalysis method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating an additional method for obtainingpurchase data in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating data collection and analysis inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a series of user interfaces implemented by acustomer for data collection in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 7 is a photograph illustrating receipt capture in accordance withan embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a photograph illustrating a receipt capture method inaccordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a photograph illustrating a user interface for navigatingcaptured receipts in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates multiple methods for entering receipts into thepurchase data transmission and analysis method in accordance with anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a user interface illustrating a product information pageproduced through the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a user interface illustrating personalized offers and rewardsproduced through the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a user interface illustrating a personalized dashboard andspending analysis displayed by the purchase data transmission andanalysis system in accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a user interface illustrating merchant analytics produced bythe purchase data transmission and analysis system in accordance withembodiments of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a user interface illustrating a receipt handling mechanismprovided by the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 16 is an illustration of a long receipt that may require capture inaccordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 17A-17I include screen shots illustrating a receipt capture methodin accordance with embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 18A-F illustrate a method for facilitating long receipt capturewith a tip overlay in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 19A-19F illustrate a method for handling long receipts inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate user interfaces for adding receipts inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 21 illustrates a long receipt capture method in accordance with analternative embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and methodfor capturing, storing, transmitting, analyzing, and displaying dataassociated with a purchase transaction.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an operating environment for apurchase data transmission and analysis system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. A customer system 10 communicates with amerchant system 20. The merchant system 20 is associated with a datamanagement server 30. A data analysis and presentation system 50,banking systems 60, and an expense management system 70 may all beconnected over a network 40 with one another and the customer 10 andmerchant 20 systems.

The customer system 10 interfaces with the data management server 30 andthe data analysis and presentation system 50. The customer systems 10may be or include any handheld mobile devices with internet access suchas iPhones or other mobile, phones, tablets, or any other known devices.The customer systems 10 may alternatively include any other type ofcomputing devices capable of performing the functions described herein.The customer systems 10 may execute downloadable applications foroperating in conjunction with the data management server 30 and dataanalysis and presentation system 50. The downloadable applications maybe stored in memory and executed by processors on the customer systems10 and may provide a plurality of user interfaces to the customersystems 10. The downloadable applications may include, for example,applications that when executed, facilitate receipt capture usingintegral features of the customer devices. For example, the customerdevices may include cameras, gyroscopes, and accelerometers. Imagecapture applications may leverage these integral features. The userinterfaces may be or include those user interfaces described inconjunction with the FIGs. below.

The merchant system 20 may include point of sale equipment and othercomputing hardware and software. The POS equipment may encompassmerchant systems including both traditional POS devices and onlineshopping systems accessible via the network 40 or another network. Themerchant systems 20 may further be connected to POS devices in retailenvironments.

The merchant system 20 may include or be associated with the datamanagement server 30. The data management server 30 may include orinterface with POS equipment and/or the customer to collect and managedata and in particular to collect and manage Level III data describedabove. The data management server may be capable of defining URLs foraccessing storage areas pertinent to purchases, wherein the storageareas include Level III data. The data management server 30 will befurther described below with respect to FIG. 2.

The network 40 is preferably the Internet, but may be or include othertypes of networks. Furthermore, even though only one network is shown,multiple networks may be used. For example, customer systems 20 maycommunicate over a different network with expense management system 70,banking systems 60, and data analysis and presentation system 50 thanwith the merchant system 20, Further, merchant systems 20 maycommunicate over various networks with the banking systems 60. Thenetwork 40 may include a wired or wireless local area network (LAN) anda wide area network (WAN), wireless personal area network (PAN) andother types of networks. Computers may be connected over the Internet,an Intranet, Extranet, Ethernet, or any other system that providescommunications. Some suitable communications protocols may includeTCP/IP, UDP, or OSI for example. For wireless communications,communications protocols may include Bluetooth, Zigbee, IrDa or othersuitable protocol. Furthermore, components of the system may communicatethrough a combination of wired or wireless paths.

The data analysis and presentation system 50 may access data from thedata management server 30 in order to analyze the data and present userinterfaces for customers and merchants. In embodiments of the invention,customers and/or merchants may store applications for operating inconjunction with the data analysis and presentation system 50. Thedetails of the data analysis and presentation system 50 are furtherdescribed below with respect to FIG. 3.

The banking systems 60 include those computing systems commonlyassociated with financial institutions, such as account processingsystems and credit card processing systems.

The expense management system 70 may be substantially as described inU.S. Pat. No. 7,949,579 and may be implemented in combination withembodiments of the invention. The expense management system 70 allowscustomers to view captured data and allocate transactions or apercentage of transactions to user-defined categories.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a data management server 200 ofthe purchase data transmission and analysis system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. The data management server may include adata capture system 210, a data transmission system 220, and datastorage 230.

The data capture system 210 may allow the merchant systems to archivePOS data captured from each transaction. The POS data may be capturedusing known methods used by merchants for capturing and storing thisdata. The data capture system 210 may additionally accept receipt dataor other data captured by customers and archive this data in connectionwith a transaction. Various methods for customer submission of data aredescribed below. The data capture system 210 may store data for eachtransaction in a location that can be accessed via a URL. The URL mayalso be generated by the data capture system 210. The data capturesystem 210 may also capture product data from various sources and thedata may include product information such as warranties or user manualsthat may be linked to various transactions as appropriate.

The data transmission system 220 transmits information associated withthe transaction. In embodiments of the invention, the informationincludes a URL associated with a transaction. The URL is preferablytransmitted in a discretionary field of an authorization streamtransmitted for bank card authorization. Accordingly, while theinformation transmitted is concise and consumes little space, itprovides access to a large amount of data. On the web page accessible bythe URL, the merchant may have the opportunity to create more engagementin order to drive the consumer back to the merchant web page. Thecurrent standard for transmitting data from a merchant's bank to a cardIssuer's bank is ISO 8583 “Financial Transaction Card OriginatedMessages”. Of course, the standard may be revised over time and otherstandards may be implemented.

The data storage area 230 stores the captured data in any convenienttype of storage device. The data storage area 230 may include anyhardware device suitable for storing the data and may further implementdatabase tools for management of the data. The data storage area 230,data transmission system 220, and data capture system 210 may beintegrated or separate systems and may include one or more processors ormemory devices executing instructions for storing the data, creating areference, such as a URL, for referencing the data, and for combiningthe URL with authorization data by inserting it in a discretionary fieldof the authorization stream. Other engines, components, or systems mayalso be included.

The engines and systems described above may include software componentsincluding instructions executed by a programmed processor to perform thefunctions described. The engines may include or access databases storedin computer memory to obtain data necessary for execution ofinstructions. Databases may be provided and accessed both withinfinancial services computing systems and outside of the financialservices organization.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a data analysis and presentationsystem 300 of the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. The data presentation andanalysis system 300 may include a data retrieval engine 310, a merchantdata analysis system 320, data storage 330, a customer data analysissystem 340, and a data presentation system 350.

The data retrieval engine 310 is provided in order to retrieve dataassociated with transmitted URL references. The data retrieval engine310 may also retrieve additional data, such as product data or customerdata from other sources if the data is not already stored in associationwith the transmitted URL.

The merchant data analysis system 320 implements the provided data toprovide predictive analysis and marketing opportunities for merchants.For example, the merchant data analysis system 320 may analyze trendsand provide marketing opportunities in accordance with the trends.Furthermore, the merchant data analysis system 320 may analyze customerbehavior to optimize marketing opportunities for the merchant. Themerchant data and analysis system 320 preferably provides the data andanalysis through user interfaces customized for the merchants.

The data storage area 330 may store trend and analysis information aswell as any other data or applications that may be repeatedly used bythe data analysis and presentation system 300.

The customer data analysis system 340 provides analysis of retrieved andstored data in order to improve the customer experience. The analysismay yield rewards information, special offers, recommendations, andother items of interest to the customers. The customer data analysissystem 340 preferably provides the information via user interfacesdesigned for the customers. The customer data analysis system 340 may befurther configured to allow input from customers to correct dataperceived to be incorrect. In embodiments of the invention, the customermay have a selectable option to submit an in investigation request intodata that appears to be incorrect. For example, a transaction amount mayhave been recorded incorrectly or an entire transaction may be viewed asfraudulent. In embodiments of the invention, customers may permitted tocorrect this data manually via a correction interface. In this instance,the data analysis system 340 may retain the original with a record ofthe correction, so that the user can review any corrections made againstthe original.

The customer data analysis system may 340 may further provide search,sort, and retrieval functionality. Sorting and filtration may beaccomplished, for example, with any field associated with Level III orother parameters. For example, searching and sorting may be accomplishedby transaction amounts, transaction dates, and transaction times.

The data presentation system 350 may supply user interfaces and/orconfigure data for presentation. The data presentation system 350 mayfurther configure the data dependent upon the receiving devicerequesting the configured data. For example, mobile devices may receivea different interface than the interface provided by a desktop computer.Exemplary user interfaces will be further described below.

The data analysis and presentation system 300 may provide value forconsumers and merchants. For example, the system may provide productlevel applications useful for product accessories marketing, relatedproduct marketing, notifications for extending warranties, recallnotification, product documents & manuals, tracking life of warranties,product reviews and upgrades, rebate notification, social integration,receipt printing and receipt bundling for expense submissions. Inpreferred embodiments of the invention, this information may be accessedthrough provided embedded links. The system may also be useful forproviding auditing and reimbursement for tax claims. Embodiments of theinvention can also provide fraud protection for thwarting identitytheft. Consumers would realize almost instantly if someone was usingtheir card numbers without their permission. Further benefits to thecustomer include budget, expense tracking, and bookkeeping information.For example, information may be presented in various formats, such asspend by category, spend by day/month/year, or spending by custom tagsformat. The system may also provide offers and coupons based on SKUlevel targeting and the offers may also be personalized based on theproduct and brand. Consumer statements may be prepared so as to beenriched with item level data. Budgeting may be provided based ondefined categories. A searchable repository of receipts and merchantsmay further be provided. The system may also provide invoicingintegration for small businesses including expense reporting andreimbursement functions. Other features that may be provided includecurrency conversion, spend analytics and integration with third partyapplications via application program interfaces.

For the benefit of the merchant, aggregated consumer purchase data maybe provided to show trending products. Furthermore, analysis of purchasedata may illustrate variation in products purchased based on weather,time of year, or day of the week. This data is valuable in that thesystem can provide the merchant with recommendations for offers based onthis data. Also, the system may provide suggestions to the merchant foreach customer based on the customer profile. Customer behavioralpatterns may illustrate that a customer is nearly certain to purchase aparticular item if it is offered at a particular price.

FIG. 4A is a flowchart illustrating a purchase data transmission andanalysis method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Thesystem participants include a customer with a bank card 402, a merchant410, a gateway 420, a processing network 430, an issuing bank 440, acustomer account 450, a SKU data source 416, and an authorization datasource 442.

The customer with the bank card 402 makes a purchase from the merchant410 and obtains a receipt 406. The merchant 410 may interact at 412 withthe SKU data source 416. The generated receipt 406 may be stored in arepository accessible by a URL. In its request for authorization throughthe gateway 420, the merchant 410 may include the URL referencing thereceipt in a discretionary field on the authorization stream. Theauthorization stream may be passed through the usual channels includingprocessing network 430 and issuing bank 440 which communicates with theauthorization data source 442 for the customer account 450. The issuingbank may retrieve the URL to the website containing the receipt data.Accordingly, the use of the receipt data in a discretionary field of theauthorization stream allows access to level III data from the merchant.The system can attach the retrieved data to the transaction at 444. Thetransaction is approved or denied at 460 and receipt data can be shownon a user interface at 448. User interfaces may be provided on acustomer system such as a customer mobile device and also on a merchantsystem.

FIG. 4B is a flowchart illustrating an additional method for acquiringpurchase data in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.Purchase data originates at a POS 462 that is capable of printingreceipts. The POS may transmit the data including Level III data to aprint cloud 468 hosted by banking systems or other systems having aninterest n hosting the data. The customers may access the data in thecloud or have the data transmitted to the customer personal wired orwifi printer 470. The data may be further transmitted to a customer oraccountants cloud ready printer 476 or an enterprise printer server ornetwork printer.

Thus, in order for the data to originate at the POS, a customerstypically go to the POS and swipe their credit cards. The card could bea card from any financial institution and the POS may include a paymentterminal be operated by a payment processor. The POS includes a driversupporting the functionality described herein. Thus, the driver, whenexecuted at a processor of the merchant printing system, captures theLevel III data at the POS and ensures that the data is transmitted tothe print cloud 468. Printer Job Language (PJL) controls the print queuewhen a job is transmitted to the printer. PJL provides instructions tothe printer and creates postscript (PS), which is a file that printersunderstand in order to transfer data to paper. After the level III datais extracted out of the PS data, the print cloud 468 determines wherethe merchant data is coming from (i.e., where the card was swiped) andit matches the receipt to the transaction, the payment card, and thecustomer. Functionality within the print cloud 468 may read a profile ofthe matched customer within the system hosting the cloud. The customermay, for example, set preferences through the system hosting the cloud.The customer might set preferences to have the receipt sent directly toa customer account and forgo printing of the receipt. Although not shownin FIG. 4B, the customer account destination can be integrated with, oraccessible to the print cloud 468 over a network. A customer can alsorequest that the merchant execute these preferences and rather thantaking a printed receipt, the customer can walk away knowing that thereceipt has been transmitted to the customer account.

The functionality of FIG. 4B enables the system to collect the Level IIIdata without soliciting it from the merchant. The print cloud host maysupply the driver and POS equipment. Capture of the data in this manneris also actual readable data rather than OCR data. This method can beimplemented at any type of retail establishments that have POSequipment.

As POS equipment evolves, customers may be able to convey their receiptpreferences to the POS at point of sale instead of or in addition to atthe print cloud 468. For example, the POS may be capable of gesturebased recognition and customers may be able to gesture to pull theirreceipts into their mobile devices. The POS equipment may additionallyor alternatively be capable of recognizing a QR code, so that customerscan hold the QR code up to the POS enabling the POS to read the QR codeand send the receipt accordingly.

The print cloud 468 may be offered by a host system and may be combinedwith functionality to enable direction of Level III data to anappropriate destination. In some embodiments, the customer sets thepreferences to indicate the appropriate destination. In otherembodiments, the card issuer or the print cloud host may set theappropriate destination. Once the receipt is matched with the customeraccount, the system performs reconciliation automatically. Inembodiments of the invention, the customer accounts may be provided withmultiple buckets for matching. For example, in a joint account, oneowner may want to separate purchases related to his hobby from purchasesrelated to the joint owner's schooling expenses. The host system mayhave the automatic functionality to distribute the receipt from thecloud to a proper account bucket. Account holders may secure the bucketsso that only one joint owner may be able to view certain receipts, aseither account holder may be capable of “suppressing” data.

The method of FIGS. 4A and 4B are primarily directed to purchases madein stores or brick and mortar establishments. Ecommerce receipts aretypically easier to generate and collect, since the collection of datafrom emails is relatively straightforward. Because online receipts havea particular format, the system may recognize them, extract them anddirect them to an appropriate destination. Despite the varying capturemechanisms, the management, analysis and display of receipts may beaccomplished similarly whether the receipts are captured at a POS oronline.

All of the components shown in FIGS. 1-4 above may be, include, or beimplemented by a computer or multiple computers. The system of theinvention or portions of the system of the invention may be in the formof a “processing machine,” i.e. a tangibly embodied machine, such as ageneral purpose computer or a special purpose computer, for example. Asused herein, the term “processing machine” is to be understood toinclude at least one processor that uses at least one memory. The atleast one memory stores a set of instructions. The instructions may beeither permanently or temporarily stored in the memory or memories ofthe processing machine. The processor executes the instructions that arestored in the memory or memories in order to process data. The set ofinstructions may include various instructions that perform a particulartask or tasks, such as any of the processing as described herein. Such aset of instructions for performing a particular task may becharacterized as a program, software program, or simply software.

As noted above, the processing machine, which may be constituted, forexample, by the particular system and/or systems described above,executes the instructions that are stored in the memory or memories toprocess data. This processing of data may be in response to commands bya user or users of the processing machine, in response to previousprocessing, in response to a request by another processing machineand/or any other input, for example. As noted above, the processingmachine used to implement the invention may be a general purposecomputer. However, the processing machine described above may alsoutilize (or be in the form of) any of a wide variety of othertechnologies including a special purpose computer, a computer systemincluding a microcomputer, mini-computer or mainframe for example, aprogrammed microprocessor, a micro-controller, a peripheral integratedcircuit element, a CSIC (Customer Specific Integrated Circuit) or ASIC(Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other integrated circuit, alogic circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic devicesuch as a FPGA, PLD, PLA or PAL, or any other device or arrangement ofdevices that is capable of implementing the steps of the processes ofthe invention.

The processing machine used to implement the invention may utilize asuitable operating system. Thus, embodiments of the invention mayinclude a processing machine running the Microsoft Windows™ Vista™operating system, the Microsoft Windows™ XP™ operating system, theMicrosoft Windows™ NT™ operating system, the Windows™ 2000 operatingsystem, the Unix operating system, the Linux operating system, the Xenixoperating system, the IBM AIX™ operating system, the Hewlett-Packard UX™operating system, the Novell Netware™ operating system, the SunMicrosystems Solaris™ operating system, the OS/2™ operating system, theBeOS™ operating system, the Macintosh operating system, the Apacheoperating system, an OpenStep™ operating system or another operatingsystem or platform.

It is appreciated that in order to practice the method of the inventionas described above, it is not necessary that the processors and/or thememories of the processing machine be physically located in the samegeographical place. That is, each of the processors and the memoriesused by the processing machine may be located in geographically distinctlocations and connected so as to communicate in any suitable manner.Additionally, it is appreciated that each of the processor and/or thememory may be composed of different physical pieces of equipment.Accordingly, it is not necessary that the processor be one single pieceof equipment in one location and that the memory be another single pieceof equipment in another location. That is, it is contemplated that theprocessor may be two pieces of equipment in two different physicallocations. The two distinct pieces of equipment may be connected in anysuitable manner. Additionally, the memory may include two or moreportions of memory in two or more physical locations.

To explain further, processing as described above is performed byvarious components and various memories. However, it is appreciated thatthe processing performed by two distinct components as described abovemay, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, beperformed by a single component. Further, the processing performed byone distinct component as described above may be performed by twodistinct components. In a similar manner, the memory storage performedby two distinct memory portions as described above may, in accordancewith a further embodiment of the invention, be performed by a singlememory portion. Further, the memory storage performed by one distinctmemory portion as described above may be performed by two memoryportions.

Further, various technologies may be used to provide communicationbetween the various processors and/or memories, as well as to allow theprocessors and/or the memories of the invention to communicate with anyother entity; i.e., so as to obtain further instructions or to accessand use remote memory stores, for example. Such technologies used toprovide such communication might include a network, the Internet,Intranet, Extranet, LAN, an Ethernet, or any client server system thatprovides communication, for example. Such communications technologiesmay use any suitable protocol such as TCP/IP, UDP, or OSI, for example.

As described above, a set of instructions is used in the processing ofthe invention. The set of instructions may be in the form of a programor software. The software may be in the form of system software orapplication software, for example. The software might also be in theform of a collection of separate programs, a program module within alarger program, or a portion of a program module, for example. Thesoftware used might also include modular programming in the form ofobject oriented programming. The software tells the processing machinewhat to do with the data being processed.

Further, it is appreciated that the instructions or set of instructionsused in the implementation and operation of the invention may be in asuitable form such that the processing machine may read theinstructions. For example, the instructions that form a program may bein the form of a suitable programming language, which is converted tomachine language or object code to allow the processor or processors toread the instructions. That is, written lines of programming code orsource code, in a particular programming language, are converted tomachine language using a compiler, assembler or interpreter. The machinelanguage is binary coded machine instructions that are specific to aparticular type of processing machine, i.e., to a particular type ofcomputer, for example. The computer understands the machine language.

Any suitable programming language may be used in accordance with thevarious embodiments of the invention. Illustratively, the programminglanguage used may include assembly language, Ada, APL, Basic, C, C++,COBOL, dBase, Forth, Fortran, Java, Modula-2, Pascal, Prolog, REXX,Visual Basic, and/or JavaScript, for example. Further, it is notnecessary that a single type of instructions or single programminglanguage be utilized in conjunction with the operation of the system andmethod of the invention. Rather, any number of different programminglanguages may be utilized as is necessary or desirable.

Also, the instructions and/or data used in the practice of the inventionmay utilize any compression or encryption technique or algorithm, as maybe desired. An encryption module might be used to encrypt data. Further,files or other data may be decrypted using a suitable decryption module,for example.

As described above, the invention may illustratively be embodied in theform of a processing machine, including a computer or computer system,for example, that includes at least one memory. It is to be appreciatedthat the set of instructions, i.e., the software for example thatenables the computer operating system to perform the operationsdescribed above may be contained on any of a wide variety of media ormedium, as desired. Further, the data that is processed by the set ofinstructions might also be contained on any of a wide variety of mediaor medium. That is, the particular medium, i.e., the memory in theprocessing machine, utilized to hold the set of instructions and/or thedata used in the invention may take on any of a variety of physicalforms or transmissions, for example. Illustratively, the medium may bein the form of paper, paper transparencies, a compact disk, a DVD, anintegrated circuit, a hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, amagnetic tape, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM, a EPROM, a wire, a cable, a fiber,communications channel, a satellite transmissions or other remotetransmission, as well as any other medium or source of data that may beread by the processors of the invention.

Further, the memory or memories used in the processing machine thatimplements the invention may be in any of a wide variety of forms toallow the memory to hold instructions, data, or other information, as isdesired. Thus, the memory might be in the form of a database to holddata. The database might use any desired arrangement of files such as aflat file arrangement or a relational database arrangement, for example.

In the system and method of the invention, a variety of “userinterfaces” may be utilized to allow a user to interface with theprocessing machine or machines that are used to implement the invention.As used herein, a user interface includes any hardware, software, orcombination of hardware and software used by the processing machine thatallows a user to interact with the processing machine. A user interfacemay be in the form of a dialogue screen for example. A user interfacemay also include any of a mouse, touch screen, keyboard, voice reader,voice recognizer, dialogue screen, menu box, list, checkbox, toggleswitch, a pushbutton or any other device that allows a user to receiveinformation regarding the operation of the processing machine as itprocesses a set of instructions and/or provide the processing machinewith information. Accordingly, the user interface is any device thatprovides communication between a user and a processing machine. Theinformation provided by the user to the processing machine through theuser interface may be in the form of a command, a selection of data, orsome other input, for example.

As discussed above, a user interface is utilized by the processingmachine that performs a set of instructions such that the processingmachine processes data for a user. The user interface is typically usedby the processing machine for interacting with a user either to conveyinformation or receive information from the user. However, it should beappreciated that in accordance with some embodiments of the system andmethod of the invention, it is not necessary that a human user actuallyinteract with a user interface used by the processing machine of theinvention. Rather, it is also contemplated that the user interface ofthe invention might interact, i.e., convey and receive information, withanother processing machine, rather than a human user. Accordingly, theother processing machine might be characterized as a user. Further, itis contemplated that a user interface utilized in the system and methodof the invention may interact partially with another processing machineor processing machines, while also interacting partially with a humanuser.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating data collection and analysis inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. In addition to the POStransaction data, the system may also collect vendor product informationand third party industry data 500. This data may be collected fromconnected manufacturer systems or other available sources. The data maybe combined and analyzed to create actionable consumer data 510. Thedata 510 may include a unique customer ID 512, real time updates 514,item level categories 516, cross industry profiling 518, and allchannels and payments 520. The ability to collect and combine the dataresults in an improved predictive intelligence for merchants. Inembodiments of the invention, the customers may able to access themanufacturer system information, such as user manuals, productwarranties, etc., through embedded links, that may direct the customersto URLs containing the desired information.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a series of user interfaces implemented by acustomer for data collection in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. In FIG. 6A, a user implements a receipt collectionapplication to take and upload a receipt photo at 600. A photo captureinstructional screen is shown at 610. A review interface 620 may beprovided upon capture. The user may be provided with an interface foradding details to the captured receipt at 630. The receipt may bematched to a transaction at 640 and the user may be returned to a homescreen at 650.

FIG. 6B illustrates an account interface 652 and an account activityinterface 656. From the account activity interface 656, a photo captureinterface 660 is provided. A review interface 670 may be provided forphoto review. An add receipt interface 680 allows the user to enteradditional details into the receipt and the user is returned to theaccount activity interface at 690.

The interfaces shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B may allow customers to storecaptured information in a particular location that will be accessiblethrough the transmitted URL described above with respect to FIGS. 2 and4. While in some embodiments of the invention, the merchant may generateand store the data, in other embodiments, the customer may store thegenerated receipt data. In embodiments of the invention, the customermay be given the opportunity to suppress items displayed on the receipt.In other words, the customer may make multiple purchases including giftpurchases for family members, or other items the customer might wanteliminate from user interfaces, such as cigarette or alcohol purchases,or personal items purchased with a business credit card. Customers maybe given the option to suppress this data to eliminate it from furtheranalysis or display. In embodiments of the invention, the customer maystill store and access this data through specially provided mechanismssuch as passwords, security questions, or other security features.

FIG. 7 is a photograph illustrating a receipt capture method 700 inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. In the illustratedscenario, a user implements an iPhone® camera to capture the receipt. Ina preferred embodiment, the receipt may be stored in a vault accessibleto mobile devices.

FIG. 8 is a photograph illustrating a receipt capture method 800 inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. In this embodiment, adesktop scanner is configured for digitally archiving receipts, Thistechnique may be useful for lengthy receipts that are difficult to imagein their entirety with a mobile device. However, in further embodimentsof the invention described below with reference to FIGS. 16-18, anenhanced method is provided for customer capture of lengthy receipts.Capture techniques for lengthy receipts may be used, for example, forany receipts having a length that cannot be captured with a singlephotograph from a camera on a mobile device, or other device, such thatits content is legible.

FIG. 9 illustrates a user interface 900 for navigating captured receiptsin accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The user interfacemay allow customers, such as business owners, to easily access and viewtheir receipt history from any computing device. The system preferablyinterfaces with other systems, such as Quickbooks™, keeping allcategories in tact between applications.

FIG. 10 illustrates multiple methods for entering receipts into thepurchase data transmission and analysis system in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. Customer submissions 1002 may be mailedscanned, uploaded or emailed. The submissions may include receipts,eReceipts, business cards, or other information, such as productinformation and warranties for scanning and data extraction. Methods ofsubmission may, for example, include submission by photo capture 1022,submission by email 1032, and POS integration 1042.

FIG. 11 is a user interface illustrating a product information page 1100produced through the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. This user interface isan example of a configuration of information that may be prepared by thecustomer data analysis system described above in connection with FIG. 3.Provided tabs may include receipts 1102, warranties 1104,recommendations 1106, inbox 1108, budgeting 1110, and rewards 1112. Aninbox 1130 may include various emails for purchases made and ordersplaced. The emails may include notifications that a product was orderedand that a product was shipped. The inbox 1130 may provide for emailactions 1120 and statuses 1122. Statuses may be checked for purchases,returns, warranties, other, or all items in combination. Interfaces 1140and 1150 may include receipts interfaces for various purchases fromparticipating merchants. The interfaces of FIG. 11 may allow customersto view return and exchange policies, view savings, print receipts, tagproducts/SKU, view offers, view product information, share productinformation, rate and view product ratings, and view nutrition facts forexample.

FIG. 12 is a user interface illustrating a recommendations interface1200 produced through the purchase data transmission and analysis systemin accordance with embodiments of the invention. Information in the userinterface may be prepared by the customer data analysis system asdescribed above and presented by the data presentation system. Therecommendations interface 1200 may provide an indicator of productspreviously purchased or viewed at 1210 and based on these products maysuggest products 1220. The interface provides a cross sellingopportunity, may provide coupons and relative product information, andmay further provide special offers for the recommended products.

FIG. 13 is a further example of a user interface 1300 includinginformation prepared by the customer data analysis system. The userinterface includes a personalized dashboard and spending analysisinterface displayed by the purchase data transmission and analysissystem in accordance with embodiments of the invention. The interface1300 may include reports 1310 from multiple merchants, and a profilesection 1320 profiling the customer savings, rewards, purchases,receipts, etc. The interface 1300 may also include a section 1350reporting recent product purchases, and a shopping goals section 1340.The shopping goals section 1340 may provide an indication of the numberof offers made and a number of offers used. The recent purchases section1350 may provide dates, merchant, savings, and amounts of recentpurchases. With the SKU level data collected, detailed sections such asa grocery shopping report 1360 may be provided. This section breaksproduct purchases down by category.

FIG. 14 is a user interface 1400 illustrating merchant analyticsproduced by the purchase data transmission and analysis system inaccordance with embodiments of the invention. These analytics mayprovide a useful tool for merchants to build their customer bases. Asection 1410 provides a number of subscribers and loyalty members, apercentage of recent customers, average purchases, and total loyaltyrevenue from a particular quarter or other time period. For example,quarters or months may be selected at 1420. A customer breakdown by dayssince last visit may be provided at 1430. A section 1440 may be providedfor winning back lapsed customers. This section may give the totalnumber of lapsed customers as well as a total win-back dollar value. Asection 1450 may identify types of customers.

FIG. 15 is a user interface 1500 illustrating a receipt handlingmechanism provided by the purchase data transmission and analysis systemin accordance with embodiments of the invention. In embodiments of theinvention, customers may be provided with the opportunity to selectwhether to receive any receipt and what actions to take with receipts.For example, the customer may select option 1510 to email a receipt,option 1520 to print a receipt, and option 1530 to skip a receiptentirely. The act of skipping a receipt may save waste and save moneyfor the merchants. The details of a receipt may be viewable at 1540, forexample through email. Whether or not the customer receives a printedreceipt, the customer will be able to view and transmit purchase data.Accordingly, either the customer, the merchant, or both the customer andthe merchant may be able to supply data to be stored in a locationreferenced by the URL that is ultimately transmitted by the merchantduring the credit card authorization process.

FIG. 16 is an illustration of a long receipt 1600 that may requirecapture in accordance with embodiments of the invention. Capture of suchlong receipts can present additional complexities with respect to theuser interface for receipt capture as well and with respect to completecapture of data. As illustrated in FIG. 8, it is possible to use adesktop scanner to scan lengthy receipts. However, as is furtherexplained below, it is also possible to capture these lengthy receiptswith a mobile image capture device.

FIGS. 17A-17I include screen shots illustrating a receipt capture methodin accordance with embodiments of the invention. The illustrated methodis intended to minimize interaction and simplify the process ofcapturing all information contained in long receipts. FIG. 17Aillustrates a receipt capture interface 1700 through which a user mayselect an “add receipt” option 1709. The user interface 1700 includes acancel option 1702, a new transaction 1704, and options for categorizingtransactions and adding receipts 1706.

When a user chooses to add a receipt at 1709, an interface 1710 of FIG.17B may be displayed. The interface 1710 may allow the user to take aphoto 1712, choose a photo from a library 1714, or cancel the operationat 1716.

If the user chooses to take a photo, an interface 1720 of FIG. 17C maybe displayed. Using camera icon 1724, the user may capture an image of areceipt at 1722. In FIG. 17D, a captured receipt 1732 is displayed alongwith transaction details. User options 1734 include options to replace,go to next, or finish capture. If the receipt is a long receipt and wasnot entirely captured through initial image capture as displayed on theinterface, the user will elect to add another part.

Assuming that the user elects to go to the next portion of the receipt,an interface 1740 of FIG. 17E may be displayed to capture a remainingportion 1744 of the receipt. A guide 1742 allows this portion of thereceipt to be matched with the previously captured portion of thereceipt. The user may capture the image using a camera icon 1746.

Upon capture, the image and transactions details 1752 may be shown inuser interface 1750 of FIG. 17F. The user may again be given options toreplace, go to next and finish at 1754. Assuming the user elects to goto a final portion of the receipt, a user interface 1760 of FIG. 17G maybe shown. The image of 1762 may be matched with the previous imaged andcaptured at 1764.

In FIG. 17H, a user interface 1770 illustrates the captured portion ofthe receipt 1772 and options 1774 to replace or finish capture. Becausethe receipt has been fully captured, the “next” option may not bedisplayed. Assuming the user elects to finish the process, a full imagemay be displayed in FIG. 17I. A user interface 1780 displays a fullycaptured image 1782. To accept the fully captured image 1782, the usermay select an “okay” option 1784.

Upon capture, the image and transactions details 1752 may be shown inuser interface 1750 of FIG. 17F. The user may again be given options toreplace, go to next and finish at 1754.

In an embodiment of the invention, illustrated in FIG. 21, a gyroscopeicon may also be displayed to ensure that receipt capture is level so asto capture a viewable image. In particular, FIG. 21 illustrates acombination of captured images 2100. The gyroscope icon 2104 indicatesthe angle of the phone which aids in capture of high quality images. Thepreview feature 2106 illustrates a preview of the previous receipt partin order to enable better image quality when the images are stitchedtogether. For example, if the preview and the newly viewed image are notwell matched at their borders, the user can adjust the cameraaccordingly to adjust the currently captured image and ensure propermatching.

The gyroscope icon may provide the user with information regarding theadequacy of image capture. For example, if the camera is parallel to thereceipt, the image will be captured successfully and the gyroscope iconmay indicate this. The icon may change colors to show capture status.For example, if the camera and the receipt are parallel or within a fewdegrees tolerance, the icon may be green. If the angle between thecamera and the receipt does not permit adequate image capture, the iconmay be displayed as red. Intermediate color displays may also beincluded in order to facilitate the movement of the camera in the properdirection. Additional gyroscope icon displays are within the scope ofthe invention. For example, the icon may include text, such as “stop” or“go”. Additionally or alternatively, the angle between the camera andthe receipt may be displayed. In further embodiments, a level bubble maybe displayed to indicate orientation. Generally, the user interface willprovide a top line and a bottom line and if the captured image isbetween the two lines, the camera is likely to be parallel to thereceipt to allow for successful image capture line may be utilized toshow the border between the two images. In embodiments of the invention,the delineation may be accentuated by changing the transparency of oneof the images. For example, by changing the transparency of thepreviously captured image, the system facilitates matching of the newlycaptured portion with the previously captured portion.

FIGS. 18A-F illustrate a method for facilitating long receipt capturewith a tip overlay in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.The images illustrate combination of captured images. As will beexplained below, a preview feature may be incorporated to illustrate apreview of the previous receipt part in order to enable better imagequality when the images are stitched together. For example, if thepreview and the newly viewed image are not well matched at theirborders, the user can adjust the camera accordingly to adjust thecurrently captured image and ensure proper matching. Further, if anycaptured image is blurry or otherwise unsatisfactory, the userinterfaces 18A-18F provide the opportunity to capture an addition image.

FIGS. 18A-18F also illustrate a method for facilitating long receiptcapture with a tip overlay in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. FIG. 18A illustrates a tip overlay interface 1800 thatinstructs a user to match receipt edges. Two portions of the receipt maybe illustrated, which in embodiments of the invention, may be shown asjoined by a line, which may be a colored line.

FIG. 18B illustrates an interface 1810 that asks a user if a receipt istoo long for capture and advises the user that two more images can becaptured in order to fully capture the entire receipt. FIG. 18C providesan interface 1820 that advises a user that one more image can becaptured. The displayed embodiment in which three portions of thereceipt are captured is merely exemplary. The number of receipt portionsmay vary depending on the type of device. While a tablet may allow threephotos, a smartphone may allow six or ten photos. Any number of portionsand matches is within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 18D provides a user with in indication, in an interface 1830, thatthe entire receipt has been captured. FIG. 18E includes an interface1840 showing multiple portions of the captured receipt and advising theuser that “we'll stich it together for you.” FIG. 18F illustrates aninterface 1850 showing the stitched receipt and providing the user withan option to zoom in.

FIGS. 19A-19F illustrate a method for handling long receipts inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 19A is a userinterface 1900 including an informational section 1902 showing a place,date and amount of a previous purchase. A new purchase 1904 is displayedalong with its date, amount, and type. A user is given an opportunity tocategorize the new purchase and add a receipt for the new purchase at1906.

FIG. 19B illustrates a user interface 1910, which is displayed after theuser elects to add the receipt specified in FIG. 19A. The user is givenan option 1912 to take a photograph of the receipt, to choose an imagefrom an existing library at 1914, or to cancel the request at 1916. InFIG. 19C, and interface 1920 is produced when the user elects to choosea photo from the library. The user is given a choice of selecting aphoto from existing storage locations, which include a camera roll and aphoto stream in the displayed embodiment. When the user selects any ofthe displayed storage locations, a user interface 1930 of FIG. 19D isdisplayed. The interface 1930 preferably displays the contents of thestorage location at 1932. The user may select any displayed photo. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the user selects a receipt photo 1934.

FIG. 19E illustrates a user interface 1940 displayed upon selection ofthe receipt. The user may categorize the receipt at 1942 and may viewthe categorized receipt at 1944. In FIG. 19F, an interface 1950 providesa tagging option 152 and provides an option for displaying taggedtransactions, untagged transactions, and transactions over the lastsixty days 1952. The transactions are shown in accordance with theselection at 1954. Selectable icons 1956 allow users to view cards,accounts, tags, and additional information.

FIGS. 20A and 20B illustrate user interfaces for adding receipts inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

In embodiments of the invention, users may be provided with an interface2000 that provides instructions 2002, search options 2004, andtransactions 2006. The user may drill down into any transaction to viewan interface 2010 shown in FIG. 20B. The interface 2010 providesinstructions 2012 for viewing transaction details, the transactiondetails 2014 including amount, post date, type description, number,category, tags, and other descriptors if applicable. The interface 2010may also display a receipt image 2016, options for downloading ordeleting 2018, and options for saving or canceling 2020.

While the receipt capture functionality may be available through anapplication stored on the customer system, the functionality or portionsof the functionality may also be available over a network from the dataanalysis and presentation system or other system. In embodiments of theinvention, customers may download receipt capture applications over thenetwork from banking systems or other centralized systems.

While embodiments of the invention are directed towards image capturewith smart phones, other image capture devices may also be implemented.For example, tablets or other devices including cameras may be used. Ifa tablet is used, the process may be streamlined as the area forsuccessful image capture may be increased due to the larger screen.

As set forth above, features may be provided that provide customers withassurance that purchases can be concealed from businesses, familymembers, or from data mining entirely. For example, a business travelerpurchasing a bottle of champagne through room service may be able tosuppress the product information or the entire purchase. For the benefitof the consumer, tools are provided to help with managing returns,recalls (provide notifications), manage warranties, bring out productmanuals, market product accessories, etc. In the case of returns, thesystem optimally appends returns back to the URL in order to consolidatedata.

The data analysis and presentation system obtains SKU level data that itcan use for marketing and analysis of product trending. In embodimentsof the invention, the data analysis creates value for merchants tobetter align their products. For example, the trend analysis may revealthat customers' purchases are dependent on weather conditions. Based onthe temperature, humidity or forecast for rain, the system may providethe merchant with a recommendation to make a special offer on productsthat are expected to sell and to stock up on these products. While thesystem is operable with any type of bank card, embodiments of theinvention are also applicable to cash transactions.

In further embodiments of the invention, customers may have multipleprofiles, for example, related to multiple different bank cards. Atransfer capability may be provided to move purchases from one profileto another. For example, personal purchases on a business profile couldbe moved to a personal profile. Also, users may tailor purchase data toinclude a “self destruct” provision, such that if the purchase dataexits a specified domain, it will automatically be destroyed.

Data storage may be limited with respect to time in order to addressspace concerns. For example, data may be stored for seven years. Inembodiments of the invention, this time period may be extended uponpayment for a particular data plan or option.

It will be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art thatthe present invention is susceptible to broad utility and application.Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other thanthose herein described, as well as many variations, modifications andequivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggestedby the present invention and foregoing description thereof, withoutdeparting from the substance or scope of the invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention has been described here indetail in relation to its exemplary embodiments, it is to be understoodthat this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the presentinvention and is made to provide an enabling disclosure of theinvention. Accordingly, the foregoing disclosure is not intended to beconstrued or to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude anyother such embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications andequivalent arrangements.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed in detail herein, it should be understood that various changesand modifications might be made to the invention without departing fromthe scope and intent of the invention.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, togetherwith other advantages, which are obvious and inherent to the system andmethod. It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinationsare of utility and may be employed without reference to other featuresand sub-combinations. This is contemplated and within the scope of thedisclosed invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for facilitating purchase data captureand analysis, the system operating over a network and in conjunctionwith a user mobile device and a merchant computing system, the systemcomprising: at least one computer memory storing instructions; at leastone computer processor accessing the at least one computer memory andexecuting the stored instructions for performing steps including;receiving transaction information from a merchant; providing an imagecapture application for the mobile device for processing an imagecapture request from a user to capture a receipt, wherein processing therequest includes providing a leveling function and a matching function,the leveling function ensuring that the receipt information is fullycaptured based on an angle between the user mobile device and thereceipt and the matching function ensuring that each edge of a capturedreceipt portion matches an edge of another captured receipt portion;matching the captured customer receipt with the transaction informationfrom the merchant; and analyzing the transaction for creating at leastone customer interface for the customer and at least one merchantinterface for the merchant based on the analysis.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein the steps further include receiving a bank card transactionauthorization stream including a URL originating from the merchantcomputing system, the URL received in a discretionary field in theauthorization stream for a bank card purchase.
 3. The system of claim 2,wherein the steps further include retrieving information at a locationreferenced by the URL, wherein the information includes a merchantidentifier, and line item data related to a purchase and attaching theretrieved data to the transaction authorization stream to create acomplete description of the transaction.
 4. The system of claim 1,wherein the at least one computer processor is further programmed toprovide a customer interface including product information for purchasedproducts.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one computerprocessor is further programmed to provide a merchant interfaceidentifying lapsed customers.
 6. The system of claim 2, wherein the atleast one computer processor is further programmed to receive data fromboth the merchant and the customer for storage in the locationreferenced by the URL.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data fromthe customer includes the captured receipt image.
 8. The system of claim1, wherein the at least one computer processor is further programmed toprovide a customer user interface that provides the customer with anoption to suppress purchases from appearing on the customer interface.9. The system of claim 2, wherein the information at the locationreferenced by the URL includes an order number, a product code, and anitem description.
 10. A method for facilitating purchase data captureand analysis, the method operating over a network and in conjunctionwith a user mobile device and a merchant computing system, the methodcomprising: storing instructions in at least one computer memory;utilizing at least one computer processor accessing the at least onecomputer memory and executing the stored instructions for performingsteps including; receiving transaction information from a merchant;providing an image capture application for the mobile device forprocessing an image capture request from a user to capture a receipt,wherein processing the request includes providing a leveling functionand a matching function, the leveling function ensuring that the receiptinformation is fully captured based on an angle between the user mobiledevice and the receipt and the matching function ensuring that each edgeof a captured receipt portion matches an edge of another capturedreceipt portion; matching the captured customer receipt with thetransaction information from the merchant; and analyzing the transactionfor creating at least one customer interface for the customer and atleast one merchant interface for the merchant based on the analysis. 11.The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving a bank cardtransaction authorization stream including a URL originating from themerchant computing system, the URL received in a discretionary field inthe authorization stream for a bank card purchase.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, further comprising retrieving information at a locationreferenced by the URL, wherein the information includes a merchantidentifier, and line item data related to a purchase and attaching theretrieved data to the transaction authorization stream to create acomplete description of the transaction.
 13. The method of claim 10,further comprising providing a customer interface including productinformation for purchased products.
 14. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising providing a merchant interface identifying lapsed customers.15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving data from boththe merchant and the customer for storage in the location referenced bythe URL.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the data from the customerincludes the captured receipt image.
 17. The method of claim 10, furthercomprising providing a customer user interface that provides thecustomer with an option to suppress purchases from appearing on thecustomer interface.
 18. The method of claim 11, wherein the informationat the location referenced by the URL includes an order number, aproduct code, and an item description.
 19. A non-transitory computerreadable medium storing instructions executable by a computer processorfor performing a method for facilitating purchase data capture andanalysis, the method operating over a network and in conjunction with auser mobile device and a merchant computing system steps including:receiving transaction information from a merchant computing system;providing an image capture application for the mobile device forprocessing an image capture request from a user to capture a receipt,wherein processing the request includes providing a leveling functionand a matching function, the leveling function ensuring that the receiptinformation is fully captured based on an angle between the user mobiledevice and the receipt and the matching function ensuring that each edgeof a captured receipt portion matches an edge of another capturedreceipt portion; matching the captured customer receipt with thetransaction information from the merchant; and analyzing the transactionfor creating at least one customer interface for the customer and atleast one merchant interface for the merchant based on the analysis. 20.The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprisinginstructions for receiving a bank card transaction authorization streamincluding a URL originating from the merchant computing system, the URLreceived in a discretionary field in the authorization stream for a bankcard purchase.